Gold Star Families Lash Out at Harris After She Targets Trump for ‘Political Stunt’ at Arlington National Cemetery

Several gold star families are coming out to criticize Vice President Harris after she claimed President Trump was using Arlington National Cemetery for campaign purposes recently. Those same families say Trump was a guest to their loved ones’ graves three years to the day after the attack at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan that left 13 Americans dead. On Wednesday, Trump traveled to Arlington to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony and a remembrance of some of those 13 alongside their family members. Photographs and videos were taken of the event in Section 60, which mostly houses the graves of those Americans who were killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Army and the Trump campaign confirmed to National Public Radio that an altercation occurred between a cemetery official and a Trump aide, leading Ms. Harris to bash Trump for using Section 60 “all for the sake of a political stunt.”“I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation,” Ms. Harris wrote on Saturday. “It is not a place for politics.”“And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground,” she added. That led the Trump campaign to release a number of videos from the family members of those 13 deceased servicemen and women, who say they invited both Trump and Ms. Harris to participate in a remembrance on the three-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing. Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole Gee who was killed three years ago, says Ms. Harris has refused to speak to the families of those who were killed, while Trump has been a source of comfort. “President Trump and his team were respectful, they listened to our stories, [and] they didn’t talk much at all. We welcomed them that day and they were a comfort to our family,” Ms. Shamblin said in a video message posted by the Trump campaign on X. “Why won’t you return a call and explain to us how you call my daughter-in-law’s death ‘a success’? Vice President Harris, why will you not express your condolences yourself? Why have we never heard from you?”“President Trump has called, President Trump has showed up, and President Trump takes the time to hear our loved ones’ stories. Why won’t you do the same?” Ms. Shamblin asked. A gold star father, Herman Lopez, whose son, Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez also died at Abbey Gate, demanded Ms. Harris stop touting her support from the military and veterans if she can’t even reach out to the Abbey Gate families to apologize. “The one thing I ask of you … is for you to stop making comments about your support for the military. As a gold star father, I know you have not supported us,” Mr. Lopez said. “Your words are hollow and empty.”In total, the Trump campaign shared messages from family members of seven of the 13 who were killed at Abbey Gate three years ago. A number of the family members who made videos defending Trump’s appearance at Arlington National Cemetery also appeared at the Republican National Convention this year to speak about their loved ones’ deaths, and the comfort Trump has brought them in recent years. Jim McCollum, the gold star father of Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum, says Ms. Harris has “failed” as vice president. “You have been nothing but disrespectful … You have been absent,” Mr. McCollum said. “You know nothing about honor, courage, commitment, respect — but President Trump does. President Trump has been there for us.”Another gold star father, Steve Nikoui, also recorded a video to defend Trump and rip Ms. Harris for never showing up for the Abbey Gate families. His son, Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, was just 20 years old when he was killed. “Your administration killed my son,” Mr. Nikoui said. “Your choice to play politics in 2021 killed 170 Afghans, 13 U.S. service members, and wounded 45 of our service members as well as countless Afghans. You were not at Dover for the dignified transfer. At no time have you reached out to me. … You disparage all 13, exhibiting your lack of gratitude by your silence.”

Gold Star Families Lash Out at Harris After She Targets Trump for ‘Political Stunt’ at Arlington National Cemetery

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